Category: Righteousness by Faith

Living a Sin-Free Life Is Possible

God’s Perfect Love: The Creation of Humanity: “Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness…'” (Genesis 1:26).

“And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.” (Genesis 2:7).

God’s Perfect Love: The Plan of Redemption: “He [Jesus] said, ‘It is finished!’ And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.” (John 19:30).

“We love because He first loved us.” (1 John 4:19). In John 3:16, God reminds us that it was love that prompted Him to give us Yeshua, His only Son, to save us from experiencing the second and final death [Malachi 4].

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind [self control]. ” (2 Timothy 1:7).

God’s Perfect Love: Not only were we created in God’s likeness, but every human being has also received spiritual gifts. The development of our gifts requires faith in God. 1 Corinthians 13 differentiates the characteristics of Agape Love from the conditional, wavering love that unbelievers practice.

Jesus reminds us, “Without Me, you can do nothing.” Even believers must have converted hearts and be empowered by the Holy Spirit for us to love unconditionally, or disunity occurs.

Our Identity in Christ: “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” (1 Peter 2:9).

When Jesus, God, the Son, created us, we received spiritual gifts: Love, Faith, Power, Self-control, Cognitive Reasoning, Recognition of Danger, and a Free Will to Choose. And this list is incomplete.

From Redemption Flows God’s Love, Grace, and Mercies

If we never received anything else, our love and appreciation for God, the Father, God, Jesus, the Son, and God, the Holy Spirit, should result in the commitment to follow Christ and obey His perfect will and plans for our lives.

Each New Day, We Stand at The Spiritual Crossroads: Either we use our faith to follow Christ, or we will follow our thoughts and desires.

“But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.” (Galatians 5:16, ESV). God gifted us with a Free Will to choose to live holy or not.

Unfortunately, Satan has deceived the majority of today’s believers with his false teachings of Compromised Christianity, based on the idea that we can do as we please because we are covered by God’s Grace.

“What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not!” (Romans 6:15). Our habits and lifestyle reveal if we are living as we desire. Yet to think that God disregards our intentional sins because of His Grace opposes God’s requirements of total obedience to His command of living righteously. 

“Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?” (Romans 6:16, NIV).

“And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve.” (Joshua 24:15). Righteousness has no Middle Road. Either we have pledged our allegiance and love to God, or to Satan. We can sing, pray, and study the Bible, but Faithful Obedience is the worship that honors and reveres God.

God also gifted us with Five Senses: Sight, Smell, Hearing, Taste, and Touch. Without the commitment to consecrate ourselves to God daily, our Senses lead us to commit heinous sins against God, the Sustainer of Life.

Sin is always the easy choice. Only with the Holy Spirit’s Divine Power and Strength can we fight against the internal conflict in our hearts and the external opposition of Satan’s temptations.

Although we are tempted, Satan’s power is limited; The devil can never force us to rebel against God. If we do not pray for the strength to overcome, then the only possible outcome is to dishonor God.

The Gradual Process of Rebellion

Desire Leads to a Fall: Satan deceived Eve because she desired more than “everything” God had given them. Eve desired to eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, or else Satan’s Temptation would have failed.

“But each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.” (James 1:14-15).

The transition from being a faithful, obedient follower of Christ to becoming an unbelieving believer is gradual; separation from God begins with thinking about that one compromising sin. We ask ourselves, “Where in the Bible does it say that we can’t?”

The Christian believer does not awaken one morning and say, Today, I will sin against God. No, following one’s sinful desires begins with constantly thinking about the pleasure of the particular sin.

“No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.” (1 Corinthians 10:13).

The Warning: When our thoughts are unholy, the Holy Spirit makes us aware that we are sinning against God by troubling our conscience. We can never say, I didn’t know.

“Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matthew 26:41, ESV).

Either we will come to our senses, asking God for forgiveness, ceasing our thoughts, or we will not care and decide to move forward in fulfilling our desires.

“An uncontrolled imagination is the catalyst for our thoughts becoming actions.” Sadly, it is the lack of self-control that detours us from the Path of Righteousness, resulting in the once faithful believer transitioning to an Unbelieving Believer.

The Definition of Unbelieving Believers: “…lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power.” (2 Timothy 3:4-5).

Ironically, many Believers who no longer follow Christ on the Path of Righteousness still attend Church [demonstrating their misunderstanding that works do not save us]; God does not practice the human-made theory of “Absolution.”

Sin is deadly because sin separates us from God, who reveals that He will not listen to the unrepentant believer’s prayers: “But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear.” (Isaiah 59:2).

Sin strips us of our spiritual senses and leaves us in darkness. We cannot think wrong and do right! Not only does God know our hearts, but He also knows every thought and action of our entire lives before we think about or do them.

“Would not God discover this? For he knows the secrets of the heart.” (Psalm 44:21, ESV). We may hide our secret lifestyles from others, but God sees our lifestyles, which reveal the inclusion of worldly activities and bad company.

“Do not be deceived: ‘Bad company ruins good morals.'” (1 Corinthians 15:33, ESV). Bad company extends beyond worldly unbelievers: Bad company also includes family members and uncommitted believers who follow their thoughts instead of obeying God’s plans for their lives.

“A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.” (Matthew 7:18). A Common Trait of Fallen Believers: Those who are in a state of rebellion against God are offended by the Sword of God’s Truth—The Holy Scriptures.

The Path of Repentance and Restoration: Jesus Christ is the Truth, the Life, and the Only Way, Who commands us to: “Be holy, for I am Holy.” (1 Peter 1:16).

“The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9).

  • Although we like to think of our hearts as being good, we must believe what God says about the condition of the human heart.
  • Only Christ through His Righteousness can cleanse our hearts; using our faith to surrender and obey God, day by day, the Holy Spirit transforms our hearts and characters [the lifelong spiritual process of Sanctification, John 17:17].
  • Repentance is a covenant vow in which one promises God to never commit sins of willful disobedience against Him again. Repentance is always required to be restored righteously [1 John 1:9].
  • We surrender ourselves every day to Christ. Sin appears pleasurable when our God-given gifts of Love and Faith have been redirected from God to ourselves [Matthew 22:37].
  • We need to reconnect with God, the Source of Life, through daily personal worship by praying and studying the Bible. [Hosea 4:6; 1 Thessalonians 5:17].
  • Pray for wisdom and understanding before studying the Bible. We study with the intention of understanding and following God’s commands.
  • The Holy Scriptures are God’s instructions, giving us the spiritual knowledge and wisdom to remain faithful and obedient. [Psalm 119:105, 111]
  • To overcome self-gratification, our focus must remain on Christ. Let go of all secular habits that fail to honor God, including music and streaming.
  • Friendships with unbelievers are one of Satan’s most effective strategies. The unbeliever has no intention of changing. It is always the believer who changes. “What does light have to do with the Darkness of Sin?

Heaven is not cheap! And God says that He never changes. Jesus promises us that sin, sinners, and this present Earth will be destroyed!

“For behold, the day is coming, burning like a furnace, when all the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble; the day is coming when I will set them ablaze,’ says the LORD of Hosts. ‘Not a root or branch will be left to them.'” (Malachi 4:1).

We are temporary travelers living in a temporary earthly home. We must come to our spiritual senses; there is no logical reason for us to lose our reward of Eternal Life for this temporary Earth overflowing with Satan’s treasures and pleasures designed to make us rebel against God.

Following Jesus will be rewarded: “Beloved, we are now children of God, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that when Christ appears, we will be like Him, for we will see Him as He is.” (1 John 3:2). Yes and Amen!

Bible Study: Romans 12; Revelation 19-22

Lord God, instead of following You with faithful obedience, our lives reflect compromised spiritual morals and values. We come to the Throne of Grace asking for the forgiveness of following our sinful desires. We ask You to cleanse us from all unrighteousness and to give us a new heart, a heart filled with love. Lord, we love You! Thank You for Your great sacrifice on Calvary’s Cross. Today, we choose Jesus, and we ask for the Power, Strength, and Presence of the Holy Spirit to guide and keep us on the Narrow Path leading to Eternal Life. Yes, in faith, we ask this prayer in Jesus’ Holy Name, Amen.

“To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.” (Revelation 3:21).

© 2026 STEPS 2 Success with Spiritual Solutions Ministry

Wasted Years? Move Forward in Jesus’ Divine Strength!

“Do not remember the former things, Nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness And rivers in the desert.” (Isaiah 43:18-20).

From studying the Scriptures, we find that although we have wasted many years, and most likely suffered devastating consequences, God commands us to repent and move forward in His Divine Strength.

God’s forgiveness also includes the gift of Restoration. Not only are we commanded to stop looking behind us, but we must also let go of regret, remorse, and guilt.

God’s Promise: “To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.” (Isaiah 61:3)

Because God is Omniscient and perceives time as Eternal, He knows the number of days in our earthly lives, and is prepared to move us forward in our spiritual journey.

The Power of Redemption

Saul was not only responsible for Stephen’s death, but he also initiated the persecution and death of many of the early Christians.

“Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?'” (Acts 9:4).

On the road to Damascus, Saul accepted Christ as His Savior, changed his name to Paul, and through the power of the Holy Spirit started the early churches.

Through Paul’s life, God reveals that His power is unlimited. From Saul, the Christian killer to Paul, a messenger of Truth, giving hope to the Gentiles, Jesus Christ saves!

Paul matured to become one of Jesus’ greatest disciples of Jesus Christ, writing the majority of the New Testament.

For his dedication to God, Paul was given the deepest spiritual meaning of Righteousness By Faith, Sanctification, and Christ’s Role as our Intercessor in the Heavenly Sanctuary.

Paul’s Epistles are spiritually challenging. We must pray for the Holy Spirit to give us the Divine wisdom and discernment before we can understand the depth of his writings.

“Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me…”

Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead…” (Philippians 2:12-13).

The Apostle Paul speaks from personal experience; we are forgiven, and expected to fulfill our new spiritual assignment, which requires that we forget our past because God has great plans for us.

Reflection: What is your Spiritual Assignment that God has chosen for you to do?

Lord God, thank You for redeeming us and being a God who restores. We ask You to reveal the spiritual work that we are called to fulfill. Empower us with the Holy Spirit, and give us the wisdom to understand Your plans for our lives. We pray for the guidance and strength to keep moving forward, and ask this prayer in the Righteous Name of Jesus, Amen.

© 2025 STEPS 2 Success with Spiritual Solutions Ministry

Spiritual Growth and Transformation Requires Active Participation

“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20, ESV).

God’s Priority is to change our Character to prepare us for our reward of Eternal Life.

Are we cooperating with the Holy Spirit in the daily Spiritual process of growth and maturity [Sanctification]?

Pursuing the world’s temporary and meaningless prosperity, pleasures, and success are a waste of the Believer’s time and energy. We can take nothing with us to Heaven except a Righteous Character.

God promises to give us everything we need. Be content with what you have.

We are looking forward to a perfect life with Jesus in the New Heaven and New Earth.

Worship God in Spirit and Truth by consecrating yourself daily to follow Jesus Christ. Peace and Blessings.

Bible Study: Romans 12:1-2; Philippians 4 

Lord God, we ask you to reveal any desire, habit, or behavior that would prevent us from receiving our reward of Eternal Life. In faith, we ask this prayer in the Righteous Name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

© 2025 STEPS 2 Success with Spiritual Solutions Ministry

Matthew’s Conversion: “Follow Me”

“As Jesus went on from there, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. ‘Follow Me,’ He told him, and Matthew got up and followed Him.” (Matthew 9:9, NIV).

As Matthew, the corrupt tax collector, sat outside at the tax table, day after day, he frequently overheard many individuals talking about Jesus’ Love, Compassion, messages of Salvation, and the countless miracles of healing He performed on the multitudes.

Although Matthew was despised by the Jewish leaders and community, his social circle included men who were as wealthy and diabolical as himself. Yes, Matthew had everything that Satan offers: wealth, pleasure, social status, and an easy life.

“So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 14:33, ESV).

Matthew gave up the sinful pleasures of life and a prestigious job to follow Jesus. The Roman government was Matthew’s employer, and to walk away from a once-in-a-lifetime job that guaranteed forever wealth would destroy any chance of rehire.

Matthew was not intimidated by the cost of following Christ; he trusted that Jesus was exactly who He said He was, “the One sent from God.” The wealthy tax collector who immediately got up [without hesitation and with silence] from the table demonstrated the giant leap of faith that boldly says, “I have decided to follow Jesus, no turning back.”

The same leap of faith required to follow Christ is one that many of today’s believers are unwilling to take. We have been deceived by Satan into thinking that we can serve God and live as we please, but there is no reward for those who are not willing to be modern-day Matthews.

“But I, the LORD, search all hearts and examine secret motives. I give all people their due rewards, according to what their actions deserve.” (Jeremiah 17:10, NLT). Jesus discerned the Tax Collector’s heart, knowing that Matthew was ready to embrace righteousness; Jesus extended the invitation, “Follow Me.” 

Matthew’s decision to follow Christ did not happen at the time he received Jesus’ invitation. From previously hearing about Christ, Matthew used his faith to believe, which invited the Holy Spirit to perform immediate Heart Conversion when Jesus said, “Follow Me.” [In Genesis chapter 1, the Scriptures mention that God, the Holy Spirit, was present with God, the Father, and God, Jesus, the Son.]

Despite the hardships of rejection and hardships that all followers of Christ must endure, Matthew was 100% committed to love and obey God, love others, renounce his former sinful habits and lifestyle, and remain loyal to Jesus Christ, the Messiah.

As one of the twelve apostles, Matthew traveled with Jesus for three years [the duration of Christ’s earthly ministry]. Spending time with Christ every day resulted in a complete spiritual transformation of his mind, character, and personality into the likeness of Christ.

The apostle Matthew proves that, despite our past, dedicating oneself to following Jesus results in a new heart overflowing with love, faith, obedience, and loyalty to Jesus Christ. Every day that we consecrate ourselves to faithfully follow and obey Jesus invites the Holy Spirit to perform the life-transforming spiritual process of Sanctification.

“The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.” (Revelation 21:14, NIV).

Not only will eleven of the twelve men [Jesus’ original disciples], and Matthias who replaced Judas, receive Eternal Life when our Triumphant King comes again, they will also have their names inscribed on the foundations of the New Jerusalem.

Righteousness by Faith: Our greatest desire should be to follow Jesus with love, loyalty, and faithful obedience. We only have one opportunity to become faithful followers, and that is in our earthly lives. Only those who are willing to let go of every desire, pleasure, and material treasure to follow their Savior and Shepherd will receive the Crown of Life. Yes and Amen!

Bible Study: Matthew 9, Revelation 21-22

Prayer: Lord God, create in us a clean heart and renew a steadfast spirit within us. We ask You to turn our eyes away from worthless things, so like Matthew, we are willing to follow You wherever You lead us. We ask this prayer in the Powerful Name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

©2025 STEPS 2 Success with Spiritual Solutions Ministry

Ask God, “Is this what You want me to do?”

Surrender to God gives us Freedom and Peace. There is only One Way to Follow Jesus on the Path of Righteousness.

We use our faith to surrender and obey. How do we know what God wants us to do? Every day, we have personal worship, and ask Him to reveal His God plans for the given day.

Believers, we are living for Revelation chapters 21-22. Yes and Amen!

Lord Jesus, we are Your sheep and desperately need Your help, guidance, and strength to keep moving forward on the Path of Righteousness. We thank You for hearing and answering this prayer that we ask in your Holy Name, Amen.

Seek, Pray, Obey, and Persevere in Jesus’ Strength! Peace and Blessings.

© 2025 STEPS 2 Success with Spiritual Solutions Ministry

Will You Receive the Reward of Eternal Life?

Recently I watched four Instagram reels on disobeying God, but the word Disobedience was skillfully avoided in the presentations. It is better for us to know the Plain Truth than to lose our reward of Eternal life because we never obeyed God.

“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you…” (Hosea 4:6). We cannot depend on social media, sermons, and podcasts to save our souls.

Worship God everyday through prayer and careful study of the Scriptures. Ask the Holy Spirit to give you the wisdom and discernment to understand the depth of God’s Transforming Word.

“And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him” (John 8:29). Jesus is our perfect example of obedience to God. In The Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus prayed, “…nevertheless, not my will but Your will be done.”

Our Savior’s death on Calvary’s Cross reveals that He loved God, the Father more than He loved Himself. Obedience to God in every aspect of our lives reveals that our hearts are converted, and filled with more love for God than for ourselves.

If we willingly obey our employer’s policies because we are rewarded with keeping our jobs and receiving our salary, how much more emphasis should we place on our destiny of eternal life?

Disobedience to God’s Sovereign Authority always brings devastating consequences to our lives. Not only do we lose our desire to please God, but we pray calculated prayers filled with request for blessings instead of praying for Spiritual transformation.

“And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?” (Mark 8:36). From studying the Book of Revelation, we know this Earth is our temporary home. Jesus tells us in Matthew 6 to be content with His blessings.

Why are we chasing the raggedy things of this Earth, and entering into relationships with individuals who do not desire the Forever reward Jesus has promised us?

Eternal Life Is the Reward for Faithful Obedience to God

The only thing we can take with us to Heaven is a “Righteous character” that must be developed in our earthly lives through daily surrender, faith, and obedience to God. We honor and reverence God through the worship of obedience to His plans for us.

From our daily prayer of submission to Jesus Christ, the Alpha and Omega, and our Mediator, we invite the Holy Spirit to transform our unrighteous minds, characters, and personalities daily into the likeness of Christ’s Righteous Character.

The spiritual journey is a tumultuous experience, yet, if we seek God’s will, and willingly obey His directives, day by day, the blood of Christ cleanses us from all unrighteousness.

We are never alone in our walk with Jesus. “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).

Obedience allows the Holy Spirit to give us Christ’s Supernatural Strength to overcome the internal conflict of pursuing our desires, and the external opposition of temptations.

Proclaim out loud everyday, “I am going to heaven!” Amen!

For the faithful, Jesus is waiting to reward us with our golden crowns, and Eternal Life in the New Heaven and New Earth. Hallelujah and Amen!

“However, as it is written: ‘What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived” — the things God has prepared for those who love him—’ ” (1 Corinthians 2:9). Yes and Amen!

Lord God, we as forgiveness for disobedience, and pray to have a heart that loves You, filled with steadfast faith and obedience. We ask you to reveal the behaviors and habits that prevent us from being aligned with Your perfect will and plans. It is our desire to receive Eternal Life. In Jesus’ Holy Name, we pray, Amen.

© 2025 STEPS 2 Success with Spiritual Solutions Ministry